Succo
by frozencinders
Summary: "Creepy!" Sima Zhao nearly yelled, with something Jia Chong could only assume was pity filling his eyes. "No, I just meant- what do you mean, you get that a lot? What, just because you're pale and wear black? Hell, all I can get from you is a smooth voice, pretty face and a nice smile, that's far from- oops..." Modern AU.


"Wow," Sima Zhao gasped as he walked into the living room after his older brother, "who's that?"

"Ah, there you two are. This is Jia Chong," Sima Yi answered, gesturing to the man sitting with his legs crossed on their couch. "He's been an accountant and adviser for our family for nearly ten years now. I can't imagine he won't do better than the previous imbeciles I hired to watch you two while I was away."

"I assure you," Jia Chong spoke in a surprisingly light and pleasant voice to Sima Zhao's ears, "they will behave flawlessly under my watch."

"Hmph! Good, because I'll not be coming home to another disaster like last time." Sima Zhao winced slightly as Jia Chong curiously tilted his head.

"Might I ask what happened last time?"

"Let's just say the last person was foolish enough to allow _this one_," he emphasized by pulling Sima Zhao's ear, "to use the oven. Without supervision, no less!"

"Dad, I already said I'm sorry!" Sima Zhao whined, holding his ear as his father let go.

"I'll be away for at least 6 hours from now. I expect both of you to behave for Jia Chong." Sima Yi's gaze softened upon Sima Shi. "Of course, I would expect no less of you, son. It's your brother I'm worried about."

"I cannot say I blame you."

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Sima Yi cleared his throat, "Jia Chong, I trust you with my sons as well as my home for the next several hours. Remember, do _not_ let Zhao near any kitchen appliances."

"I understand," Jia Chong smiled. Sima Yi nodded, rushing hurriedly out the door. Sima Zhao whistled and averted his gaze from the pale man on the couch as he slowly circled it to sit next to him. Sima Shi rolled his eyes and strode back to his room upstairs.

"So, uh... Jia Chong, huh? Anyone ever tell you that you kinda-"

"Look like a vampire? Rest assured, they remain quite fictional, to my knowledge." Sima Zhao looked surprised, and Jia Chong couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh... uh, I guess that was pretty obvious. But, you don't happen to hate-"

"I quite enjoy garlic bread," he interrupted.

"Haha... right, who doesn't?" Jia Chong smiled, and Sima Zhao found it to be the most dazzling sight he'd ever had the pleasure of witnessing. He desperately searched his mind for something else to talk about with this stunning man. Fortunately for him, Jia Chong had decided to speak up first.

"So what exactly happened during that incident with the oven?" Sima Zhao grimaced, reluctantly pulling his gaze from Jia Chong to the wall past him.

"Uh, I tried to make some meat buns and it, uh... went wrong," the brunet answered, scratching his cheek, "and my brother was pretty mad at me since I used up most of the ingredients. He _really_ likes meat buns."

"I see. I suppose that's what I'll be making for dinner, then?"

"Yeah! If you want me to help you..." Sima Zhao paused at the unamused look Jia Chong gave him, "uh, I'll just have to pass!"

Sima Zhao gave a nervous laugh as the pale man nodded at him before turning his attention from the brunet to a small novel that had been sitting beside him. Sima Zhao leaned over to read the cover of the book, finding it wasn't named.

"No title or anything?" Jia Chong shook his head, closing the book around his own thumb as Sima Zhao tried to peek at the contents of the book.

"It's like that for a reason." The pale man held the book out of the brunet's reach, handing him the remote to the television as a subtle request to occupy himself with something else.

"Uh, sorry," Sima Zhao said, backing off and standing, "I'll let you read."

* * *

><p>Not an hour later did Jia Chong catch the brunet watching him from the kitchen doorway. The adviser sighed, pulling a small piece of paper from his pocket and sticking it between the pages he was viewing before closing the novel and setting it on the end table. He looked straight at Sima Zhao, who gasped and hid behind the wall, waiting a moment before accepting that he had been caught and walking out.<p>

"I was wondering if dinner was... soon?" Jia Chong glanced at the clock above Sima Zhao's head.

"It's 3 PM. Do you normally have dinner so early?"

"No..." Sima Zhao sighed. "Forget I said anything."

"Come sit with me," he offered, patting the space next to him. The brunet's eyes brightened.

"Really? I mean, uh, sure!"

"Is something wrong?" Sima Zhao winced slightly, looking away.

"Yeah, I... ah, what's the point in trying to lie? You're really... I mean, you're just so-"

"Creepy? I get that a lot."

"Creepy?!" Sima Zhao nearly yelled, with something Jia Chong could only assume was pity filling his eyes. "No, I just meant- what do you mean, you get that a lot? What, just because you're pale and wear black? Hell, all I can get from you is a smooth voice, pretty face and a nice smile, that's far from- oops..."

Jia Chong smiled, tilting his head.

"I suppose that means you've given up on the idea of me being a vampire, then?"

"I-I never said I thought you were one anyway..." Sima Zhao mumbled. "Why don't we take this up to my room? Wait, no! That was awful timing! I meant... u-uh, I just thought-"

"You're still fooling around out here?" Sima Shi cut in, a glass of water in hand.

"B-brother!"

"We were just leaving, actually," Jia Chong replied, standing up and staring at Sima Zhao as the elder brother smirked and left again. "I don't know where your room is."

"Oh! Right..." Sima Zhao lead the pale man upstairs and stopped at the closest room, mere tens of feet across from the one Sima Shi disappeared into with another glance behind his back. Jia Chong smiled at the brunet once more as he opened the door, a blush finding its way onto his cheeks already.

"Hm? You're looking somewhat flushed," Jia Chong innocently noted, "perhaps you're ill?"

"No, no, no, I'm fine!"

"Then I suppose I won't be doting on you while you lie in bed like the lazy child your father claims you are."

"H-hey, I'm not a child, I'm 19!" Sima Zhao argued, his blush failing to disappear. "But, uh, if you wanna dote on me, I guess I can't say no."

Jia Chong chuckled as Sima Zhao slipped his socks off and lied down. The pale man sat in front of the brunet before leaning down to reach his ear.

"You never feared that I may be a vampire?" he whispered, noticing the way Sima Zhao shivered.

"No... besides, you said they're ficti- hey!"

The adviser had cut Sima Zhao's sentence off with a harsh nip to the side of his neck; not hard enough to draw blood, but certainly enough to draw a gasp from the younger man.

"W-what was that? Were you lying? Are vampires real after all? Are you-"

"I was merely teasing," Jia Chong assured. Sima Zhao swallowed, bringing a hand up to his neck to feel the small mark the pale man had made.

"Could you maybe, uh... tease me a little more?" Sima Zhao chanced, smiling nervously in an attempt to mirror Jia Chong, who leaned in to nibble at him again before climbing on top of the brunet and turning his nips into gentle kisses. Sima Zhao couldn't help the small moan that escaped his lips, nor the loud gasp and increase of temperature in his face as he noticed the door swinging closed.

"Do you not have any common sense whatsoever?" Sima Shi asked from outside of the room. "If you get too loud, I'll tell father."

"N-no, please don't! I'm sor- ah!"

Jia Chong had interrupted Sima Zhao with a wandering hand that had found its way under his shirt. He yelped as the adviser applied just a slight bit too much pressure on a rosy bud, causing him to instinctively raise his hand to rest it on the other, pulling at it slightly.

"Would you like me to stop?" Jia Chong asked, ceasing his movements completely as he waited for an answer.

"No, please don't stop..."

The pale adviser smiled once more and continued. Sima Zhao, having completely forgotten about his older brother's warning, had to face an absolutely speechless Sima Yi later that night. Thankfully, perhaps even miraculously, Jia Chong hadn't been fired from his position of adviser, accountant, _or_ babysitter. In fact, he had been mysteriously invited over more often than what appeared necessary. Apparently, Sima Yi had been pleased enough with how Jia Chong handled his sons. That, or Sima Shi had told his father something entirely different than what Sima Zhao had expected.

"I expect full compensation for having to listen to you two _as well_ as come up with a cover story when father asked how the night went," the elder brother had said when the brunet asked about it. Sima Zhao smiled, promising his brother as many meat buns as he could convince Jia Chong to make.

"But, one question," he added, "what, exactly, did you tell father?"

Sima Shi chuckled.

"I told him Jia Chong had taught you how to properly use an oven." Sima Zhao gave a loud, overdramatic sigh.

"Come on, I'm not that bad of a cook! ... Is that why father looked so shocked?!"


End file.
